Biography

Todd Wash enters his second season as the team’s defensive coordinator. Wash originally joined the team as the defensive line coach on January 28, 2013 before being promoted to defensive coordinator entering the 2016 season.

Todd Wash enters his second season as the team’s defensive coordinator. Wash originally joined the team as the defensive line coach on January 28, 2013 before being promoted to defensive coordinator entering the 2016 season.

Wash’s defense displayed continued improvement throughout the 2016 season. His unit finished the year ranked sixth overall in yards per game allowed, including a 215.3 yards passing allowed clip that was fifth-best in the NFL in 2016. In addition, the Jaguars’ front seven limited opponents to 3.82 yards per carry, which was tied for sixth-best in the league. The Jaguars finished particularly strong, tallying the most passes defensed in franchise history during the months of December and January (32), and tallied a franchise-best 13 passes defensed against Tennessee in Week 16. Jacksonville’s defense also tallied 80 tackles for loss, fourth-most in the NFL, while third-year LB Telvin Smith set a career high with 14 stops behind the line of scrimmage. On third downs, Wash’s troop finished the season with an impressive 37.1 third down percentage, which ranked eighth in the NFL, including a dominant 7.7 (one for 13) percent against Denver in Week 13.

Wash also mentored two record-breaking rookies in CB Jalen Ramsey and DE Yannick Ngakoue. Ngakoue broke the single-season Jaguars rookie record when he posted 8.0 sacks. He joins LB Tamba Hali, LB Terrell Suggs, LB Julius Peppers and LB Charles Haley as the only rookies in NFL history to post 8.0-plus sacks, four-plus forced fumbles and at least one INT in their rookie season. Ramsey also posted a standout rookie campaign under Wash, as the shutdown corner led all NFL rookies with 14 passes defensed. Ramsey joins S Marcus Peters as the only rookie CBs over the last eight seasons to register 50-plus tackles, one pick-six and one forced fumble during their inaugural year. Ramsey, who held receivers to 50 or fewer receiving yards in coverage in 10 of 16 games, was tasked with following the opponents’ number one wideout on six occasions in 2016: Baltimore WR Steve Smith, Indianapolis WR T.Y. Hilton, Chicago WR Alshon Jeffrey, Oakland WR Amari Cooper and Houston WR DeAndre Hopkins (twice).

In 2015, the team ranked 15th (106.8) in opponent rushing yards per game in 2015, an improvement from 27th (127.1) in 2014. The Jaguars also ranked fifth in opponent rushing average (3.68), up from 12th (4.07) in 2014. In addition, DL Jared Odrick led the team with 5.5 sacks, while DE Andre Branch and DT Roy Miller III had 4.0 sacks apiece. Jacksonville’s defense tied for the NFL’s fourth-most sack-fumbles (8.0) in 2015, trailing only New England (10.0), N.Y. Jets (9.0) and Philadelphia (9.0).

Wash has also tutored a productive pass rush. The Jaguars ranked sixth in the NFL with 45.0 sacks in 2014, the fourth-most in franchise history and most since 2005. Among the 45.0 sacks, 37.0 were credited to defensive linemen. The Jaguars forced five fumbles in Week 12 at Indianapolis, the most in single-game franchise history. Sixth-year DT Sen’Derrick Marks had the best statistical season of his career, totaling 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 16 QB hits. Veteran DE Chris Clemons registered eight sacks and second-year DE Ryan Davis notched a career-high 6.5 sacks. In Wash’s first year with the Jaguars in 2013, the club improved their sack total from 20.0 in 2012 to 31.0 and totaled 19.0 sacks in the last seven games.

Wash coached the Seahawks defensive line from 2011-12 and helped the unit rank sixth in the NFL in yards per game (319.2), third in fewest points allowed (17.5), first in opponents passer rating (73.2) and fifth in takeaways (62) during that span. The Seahawks registered an 11-5 regular season record in 2012, the third-best mark in franchise history, and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs. The Seahawks led the NFL by allowing a franchise-record low 15.3 points per game and ranked fourth in total defense (306.2 yards per game).

Wash entered the NFL coaching ranks with the Buccaneers, where he spent four seasons (2007-10), serving the last three as defensive line coach. Prior to joining the Buccaneers, Wash had two stints (2002-03, 2005-06) as an assistant coach at his alma mater, North Dakota State. While with the Bison, Wash coached the defen­sive line and coordinated the run defense. In between appointments at NDSU, he spent the 2004 season as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Missouri Southern State. Wash began his coaching career at Fort Lewis College in 1996 as defensive coordinator and was promoted to head coach/defensive coordinator for three seasons (1997-99). He worked as defensive coordinator at Nebraska-Kearney from 2000-01. A two-time All-North Central Conference outside linebacker at North Dakota State, Wash played on two national championship teams with the Bison in 1988 and 1990. A preseason All-American and team captain in 1991, he had a tryout as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Oilers in 1992. He holds two degrees from NDSU, including a bachelor’s degree in physical education (1994) and a master’s in athletic administration (1996).

Wash, born July 19, 1968, and his wife, Darci, have two daughters, Alyssa and Jenae, and one son, Marcus. Darci was an All-America basketball player at NDSU and played on three national championship teams. She was inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.